Friday August 12, 2022
CBC News —
Dozens gathered at the Whitehorse fish ladder on Wednesday for “salmon appreciation night,” but the mood was dampened this year by staggeringly low numbers of chinook salmon.
Only 10 salmon had passed through the fish ladder, which bypasses the Whitehorse Rapids Dam on the Yukon River, said Amy Jacobsen, fish ladder supervisor. By Thursday, the number was up to 13.
Last year, there were 274 salmon, which is lower than the annual average of 1,000, she said.
Numbers typically peak in mid-August, and Jacobsen is hoping for a late push. If numbers stay this low, it could be their worst year on record.
“If there’s going to be a silver lining, we have the habitat,” she said. “If they come, we have a place for them. And that’s our hope.”